Meagan McCormic went before television cameras on Christmas Day, pleading for the return of her missing baby. 2 days later, police are claiming that that baby never existed, and McCormic's "plea" was all a hoax.

McCormic, 22, apparently invented the story in an attempt to lure an ex-boyfriend back into her life. She claimed that her ex, John Buchness, was the father of the child, and when Buchness showed up to meet his son, McCormic told him that "Riley" was missing. According to CNN, she described the child "as having a mohawk, a single tooth and a fake tattoo," and "that she had left him with a nanny who had a French accent and a gap between her teeth." She has been charged with filing a false police report and was being held on $500 bail.

McCormic claims she suffered a miscarriage in March, but admits that there never was a baby to search for. Sadly, McCormic's hoax was, as Miami Police Office Kenia Alfonso calls it, "an unfortunate waste of resources"; for every "hoax" that makes big news, there are hundreds of missing person cases that slip under the radar. One hopes Ms. McCormic will get the resources she needs to better understand her actions and the consequences they have had on her family, her ex-boyfriend, and her community, as well.